Yoga as a Supportive Therapy for Patients With Hypertension

Yoga as a Supportive Therapy for Patients With Hypertension: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The proposed study aims to investigate the feasibility, effectiveness, and perceived benefit of a supportive hatha yoga intervention for patients with hypertension using antihypertensive drugs. Patients will be randomized into 3 groups comparing hatha yoga with yoga postures, breathing and relaxation techniques to a hatha yoga intervention without yoga postures (only breathing and relaxation techniques) as well as to a wait list control group.

Inclusion Criteria:

• essential Hypertension
• stable antihypertensive medication during the next 6 months

Exclusion Criteria:

• pregnancy or breast feeding
• simultaneous participation in further clinical intervention trials
• regular yoga practice in the past 12 months
• serious mental illness (severe depression, severe addiction, psychosis)
• manifest coronary heart disease that has been treated in the past 3 months or myocardial infarction, embolism of pulmonary arteries or stroke in the past 3 months
• heart failure ≥ state 1 New York Heart Association (NYHA)
• peripheral arterial occlusive disease ≥ state 1
• renal insufficiency > state 2, glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml/min/1,73m² according to he National Kidney Foundation (NKF)